Method of applying pesticide

ABSTRACT

A method for delivering a pesticide adjacent a foundation of a structure is provided. The method includes injecting the pesticide into a tubular conduit positioned proximate to the foundation of the structure. The pesticide is injected into the tubular conduit at a rate such that the internal pressure of the tubular conduit remains below a threshold pressure of the tubular conduit until the tubular conduit is substantially filled with the pesticide thereby preventing the pesticide from being discharged through pores of the tubular conduit as the tubular conduit is being filled with the pesticide. Continued injection of pesticide into the tubular conduit causes the tubular conduit to be uniformly pressurized above the threshold pressure of the tubular conduit along the length of the tubular conduit to cause the pesticide to be discharged from the tubular conduit at a substantially uniform rate along the length of the tubular conduit and form a chemical barrier against the infestation of pests into the structure through openings formed in the foundation of the structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLIATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/411,461, filedApr. 10, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to insect control systems forstructures, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to animproved method for injecting pesticide beneath or inside a structure ina uniform manner.

2. Brief Description of the Related Art

Numerous systems have been proposed for protecting buildings and homesfrom damage caused by pests, such as subterranean termites, which can doconsiderable structural and cosmetic damage over time. A common practicefor treating infestation of pests into a structure is to pre-treat theground under the structure with pesticide chemicals during theconstruction process. This is done by applying a substantial quantity ofpesticides, such as termiticide, on the ground under the proposedstructure before the slab is poured in an attempt to create a chemicalbarrier that will keep the insects from entering the structure.

The problem with this method of treatment is the amount of pesticiderequired to be used can be harmful to occupants of the structure as wellas harmful to the groundwater. Furthermore, even though a large amountof pesticide is applied to the ground, the resulting chemical barriernevertheless becomes ineffective over time as the chemicals break down.

With these problems in mind, other methods have been developed for theperiodic injection of pesticide beneath structures. One particularmethod involves the drilling of holes in and around the slab for theinjection of pesticide. This method has many drawbacks which includeaffecting the integrity of the slab, the mess of drilling through theslab, convenience of having to clear a path around the structure topermit access for the drilling, the need for the holes to be plugged,and the residual odor of the pesticide that escapes during the injectionprocess. In addition, this process must be periodically repeated duringthe lifetime of the structure.

Considerable efforts have been made to alleviate the problems of postconstruction periodic injection of pesticides beneath the structure byplacing an injection system beneath the structure during theconstruction process. Many of these systems involve placing a network ofporous tubing beneath the structure. The problem encountered in thesesystems however is that the holes provided in the tubing have a fixeddiameter and thus are susceptible to clogging. Because there is apreference to placing the network of tubing within the fill materialpositioned under the slab, the fill material often obstructs or clogsthe holes. The holes can also get clogged by dead insects and otherpests that may enter the holes in the tubing over the course of thelifetime of the system. When the holes become clogged or obstructed,they fail to deliver pesticide to the surrounding location, therebycreating a gap in the chemical barrier which can be exploited by pests.

Other injection network systems with fixed holes have attempted toprevent hole obstruction elaborate systems or by varying constructionprocedures. For example, systems have been developed where the holes aresheltered with wick-like membranes, soil screens, shower-type sprinklerheads, and sponges. Other systems attempt to keep the holes from beingobstructed by surrounding the holes with specialized fill materialsapplied during the construction process. Each of these types of systemsis complex and increases installation costs.

Another problem that has been encountered with pesticide injectionsystems of the existing art is that each of these systems tend to injectpesticide at decreasing rates along the length of the tubing. This isdue to the fixed holes of the tubing allowing pesticide to be injectedat a greater rate near the injection end of the tubing while theinjection rate decreases as the distance from the injection endincreases. Consequently, pesticide is applied in a non-uniform fashion.If a pesticide is not capable of being applied in a uniform andpredictable fashion, the application of such pesticide generally willnot comply with the requirements of the pesticide label, as required byfederal law. As such, a system that is not capable of applying pesticidein accordance with label requirements is rendered inoperable.

To this end, a need exists for a pesticide injection system which issimple in design, inexpensive to install, easy to operate and maintain,and which distributes pesticide uniformly throughout the system. It isto such a system that the present invention is directed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foundation of a dwelling with asubsurface pesticide injection system constructed in accordance with thepresent invention installed under the foundation.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a foundation of a dwelling with anotherembodiment of a subsurface pesticide injection system constructed inaccordance with the present invention installed under the foundation.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the foundationillustrating the subsurface pesticide injection system of FIG. 1installed under the foundation.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tubular conduit used with thesubsurface pesticide injection system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tubular conduit of FIG. 3 shown inan expanded condition for releasing fluid in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an elastomericconduit used with the subsurface pesticide injection of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the tubular conduit of FIG. 5 shown inan expanded condition for releasing fluid in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway, perspective view of a service panel ofthe subsurface pesticide injection of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a service panel ofthe subsurface pesticide injection system of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a servicepanel of the subsurface pesticide injection of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a partially schematic, side elevational view of an injectorassembly for use with the pesticide injection system of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 a perspective view of another embodiment of a pesticideinjection system constructed in accordance with the present inventionshown installed in a structure.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of FIG.10 illustrating the pesticide injection system of FIG. 10

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, apesticide injection system 10 constructed in accordance with the presentinvention is shown installed beneath a foundation 12 of a structure. Thefoundation 12 has a footing 14 formed in a base soil 16 (FIG. 2). Thefooting 14 provides a support surface for an exterior facing 17, such asbrick (FIG. 2), and a stem wall 18 which generally defines a perimeterof the structure. A fill material 20, such as sand or gravel, isdisposed on the base soil 16 within the perimeter of the stem wall 18,and a concrete slab 22 is formed on the fill material 20. A plurality ofplumbing pipes 24, which run through the fill material 20, protrude upthrough the concrete slab 22.

Upon curing of the concrete slab 22, openings or cracks typically formbetween the stem wall 18 and concrete slab 22, as well as between theplumbing pipes 24 and the concrete slab 22, such as openings 25. Theseopenings and cracks provide an entry point into the structure for pestsand fluids. Consequently, the area near the perimeter of the concreteslab 22 and the area adjacent where the plumbing pipes 24 protrude upthrough the concrete slab 22 require periodic attention to prevent pestinfestation and accumulation of harmful fluids in the structure.

The pesticide injection system 10 includes one or more circuits of atubular conduit 26 positioned under the foundation 12 of the structureand a connector assembly 28 which permits a source of pressurizedpesticide to be connected to the tubular conduits 26. As such, pesticidemay be selectively injected into the fill material 20 in an injectionmode to form a chemical barrier against the infestation of pests intothe structure through the openings 25 of the concrete slab 22.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the pesticide injection system 10 having acircuit 30 which is positioned adjacent to the perimeter of the concreteslab 22 and a circuit 32 which is positioned to loop in close proximityto the upward extending plumbing pipes 24. The pesticide injectionsystem 10 is also illustrated having a circuit 33 extending around theperimeter of the structure on the exterior side of the footing 14 and acircuit 34 positioned in a space 35 formed between the exterior facing17 and the stem wall 18.

FIG. 1A shows another embodiment of a pesticide injection system 10 a.The pesticide injection system 10 a includes a circuit 30 a positionedunder the foundation 12 of the structure. The circuit 30 a is providedwith cross members 36 and 37. The cross members 36 and 37 have theeffect of making the circuit 30 a a parallel flow circuit. A parallelflow circuit provides multiple flow paths to any particular point in theflow circuit. This is an advantage because if one particular segment ofthe circuit 30 a becomes crimped or otherwise clogged, pesticide willstill be applied to portions of the circuit 30 a on either side of theblockage. Furthermore, a parallel flow circuit generally has less of apressure drop between the flow entrance and any point in the system, ascompared with a series flow circuit. This results in a more uniformdistribution of the pesticide from the tubular conduit 26.

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that thetubular conduit 26 may be positioned in a variety of differentlocations. For example, it may be desirable to place the tubular conduit26 in the upper portion of the fill material 20, as opposed to the lowerportion of the fill material 20. In addition, the tubular conduit 26 canbe positioned along the lower end of an insulation material 38 (FIG. 11)fixed to an interior side of the stem wall 18 to prevent pests frommigrating between the insulation material 38 and the stem wall 18. Inanother instance, it may be desirable to place the tubular conduit 26 atthe perimeter of the stem wall 18 such that the tubular conduit 26 ispositioned in the concrete slab 22 so as to be in the path of wherecracks are likely to form between the stem wall 18 and the concrete slab22. Prior to forming the concrete slab 22, the tubular conduit 26 may besecured to the stem wall 18 with a suitable adhesive.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the tubular conduit 26. The tubular conduit 26is formed of particles of vulcanized rubber dispersed in a binder resinsuch that tortuous pores or channels 40 are formed in the side wall.Examples of suitable conduits are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,408,assigned to George C. Ballas, trustee, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,398,assigned to Aquapore Moisture Systems, Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., both ofwhich are hereby expressly incorporated herein.

The tubular conduit 26 is generally tubular and has a sidewall 41, afirst end 42, a second end 43. The sidewall 41 has a thicknesssufficient to give the tubular conduit 26 structural integrity toprevent collapse of the tubular conduit 26 due to soil loadingpressures. The sidewall 41 is also of such thickness so that the tubularconduit 26 maintains a high degree of flexibility along it length tofacilitate installation.

The tubular conduit 26 has a substantially circular cross-sectionalconfiguration and is constructed of an elastomeric material such thatupon loading the tubular conduit 26 with pesticide and applying apositive internal pressure to the tubular conduit 26 by the injection ofadditional pesticide into the tubular conduit 26 at a pressure at orabove a threshold pressure of the tubular conduit 26, the sidewall 41expands slightly causing the tortuous pores 40 of the tubular conduit 26to open and permit pesticide to drip through the tortuous pores 40 intothe fill material 20 in the injection mode while the tubular conduit 26maintains its substantially circular cross-sectional configuration.Finally, upon removal of the positive internal pressure, the tortuouspores 40 are caused to close so that the tortuous pores 40 remainsubstantially clog free while the tubular conduit 26 maintains itssubstantially circular cross-sectional configuration.

The threshold pressure of the tubular conduit 26 is the pressurerequired to open the pores 40 to allow for the release of pesticide. Itshould be appreciated that the threshold pressure will vary depending onthe physical characteristics of the tubular conduit 26 and theenvironmental conditions. However, by way of example, a tubular conduithaving an outer diameter of 0.71 inches and an inner diameter of 0.53inches will generally have a threshold pressure in a range of from about2 psi to about 10 psi.

FIGS. 5 and 5A illustrate another embodiment of a tubular conduit 26 athat can be used in the pesticide injection system 10 of the presentinvention. Like the tubular conduit 26, the tubular conduit 26 a isgenerally tubular and has a sidewall 41 a, a first end 42 a, a secondend 43 a, and a plurality of small, straight pores 40 a extendingthrough the sidewall 41 from the first end 42 to the second end 43. Thetubular conduit 26 has a substantially circular cross-sectionalconfiguration and is constructed of an elastomeric material, such asrubber, neoprene, or plastic, so that upon loading the tubular conduit26 a with pesticide and applying a positive internal pressure to thetubular conduit 26 a by the injection of additional pesticide into thetubular conduit 26 a at a pressure at or above a threshold pressure ofthe tubular conduit 26 a, the sidewall 41 a expands slightly causing thetubular conduit 26 to expand and open the pores 40 a and permitpesticide to drip through the pores 40 a into the fill material 20 inthe injection mode while the tubular conduit 26 a maintains itssubstantially circular cross-sectional configuration. Finally, uponremoval of the positive internal pressure, the pores 40 a are caused toclose so that the pores 40 a remain substantially clog free while thetubular conduit 26 a maintains its substantially circularcross-sectional configuration. It should be appreciated that the pores40 a may also be in the form of slits.

The threshold pressure of the tubular conduit 26 a is the pressurerequired to open the pores 40 a to allow for the release of pesticide.It should be appreciated that the threshold pressure will vary dependingon the physical characteristics of the tubular conduit 26 a and theenvironmental conditions.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the connector assembly 28 includes an accessbox 44 having a plurality of access ports or female connector members 45(only one of the access ports being designated in FIG. 6) and aplurality of nonporous tubular conduits 46 (only one of the nonporoustubular conduits being designated in FIG. 6) for establishing fluidcommunication between the access ports 45 and the porous conduits 26.The nonporous tubular conduits 46 are preferably constructed of arelatively flexible material, such as polyethylene. The access box 44includes access ports 45 for each end of the tubular conduit 26 for eachcircuit 30, 32, 33, and 34. Each nonporous tubular conduit 46 isdisposed in one end of a corresponding tubular conduit 26 and thetubular conduit 26 is secured thereto with a suitable device, such as ahose clamp (not shown).

Each access port 45 is adapted to receive a source of pressurizedpesticide whereby the pesticide may be selectively injected into thefill material 20 in an injection mode via the tubular conduits 26 toform a chemical barrier against the infestation of pests into thestructure through the openings 25 of the concrete slab 22. A source ofpressurized pesticide may be attached to each of the access ports 45 orto only one of the access ports 45. If the source of pressurizedpesticide is connected to only one of the access ports 45, the otheraccess port 45 is plugged with a cap 58.

The access ports 45 are illustrated as being configured for threadedattachment with the source of pressurized pesticide and the vacuumsource. The access box 44 can be located in any convenient location suchas on a wall of a garage, in a utility closet, or on an exterior wall ofthe structure.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a connector assembly 50 shownmounted to an exterior wall 52 of a structure. Like the connectorassembly 28, the connector assembly 50 includes a plurality of nonporoustubular conduits 53. Each nonporous tubular conduit 53 of the connectorassembly 50 is provided with a male connector member 54 rather than afemale connector member as with the connector assembly 28. The maleconnector members 54 are shown to extend from the exterior wall 52 andto be supported by a support plate 56.

Each male connector 54 is adapted to receive a source of pressurizedpesticide whereby the pesticide may be selectively injected into thefill material 20 in an injection mode via the tubular conduits 26 toform a chemical barrier against the infestation of pests into thestructure through the openings 25 of the concrete slab 22. A source ofpressurized pesticide may be attached to each of the male connectormembers 54, whereby pesticide is simultaneously injected into both endsof the tubular conduit 26, or to only one of the male connectors 54. Ifthe source of pressurized pesticide is connected to only one of the maleconnectors 54, the other male connector 54 is preferably plugged with acap 58 or other suitable device.

Like the access box 44 of the connector assembly 28, the male connectormembers 54 can also be located in any other convenient location such ason a wall of a garage or in a utility closet.

FIG. 8 illustrates a connector assembly 50 a which is similar to theconnector assembly 50 described above with the exception that aY-connector 59 is attached to the ends of each corresponding nonporoustubular conduit 53 to provide a single point of injection for eachcircuit (not shown in FIG. 8). Injection of pesticide is made via themale connector members 54. Use of the Y-connector 59 permits pesticideto be simultaneously injected through both ends of the tubular conduit26 in the injection mode.

Referring now to FIG. 9, an injection assembly 60 for use in injectingpesticide in the injection mode is shown. The injection assembly 60includes an adapter hose 64 for connection with a connector member(shown as the connector member 54 in FIG. 9), a flow regulator 66, and aflow meter 68, and a source of pressurized pesticide 70.

The flow regulator 66 functions to restrict the flow of pesticide intothe tubular conduit 26 so that the tubular conduit 26 is first filled orloaded with pesticide while maintaining the pressure on the tubularconduit 26 below its threshold pressure. Upon the tubular conduit 26being loaded with pesticide, the continued injection of pesticide intothe tubular conduit 26 pressurizes the tubular conduit 26 above itsthreshold pressure along its entire length, thereby causing thesimultaneous opening of the pores 40 and the substantially uniformdistribution of pesticide from the tubular conduit 26 along its entirelength. Desirable results have been achieved by restricting the flow ofpesticide into the tubular conduit 26 to 1 gal/min. However, it willappreciated that the flow rate can be varied depending on thecharacteristics of the tubular conduit 26.

The source of pressurized pesticide 70 may include a truck mounted tankand pump rig. The tank may be supplied with a predetermined amount ofpesticide, or the flow meter 68 may be used to determine when thedesired amount of pesticide has been injected. The amount of pressurerequired to effectively inject the pesticide into the fill material 20and into the base soil 16 will vary depending on the density of the fillmaterial 20 and the base soil 16. However, a pressure range of fromabout 2 psi to about 80 psi is generally suitable.

It will be appreciated that there are a variety of pesticides that arecommercially available and which may be utilized with the pesticideinjection system 10. In addition, it should be understood that pesticidemay also be hot water which is known to control certain pests. Apreferred temperature range for the water is from about 90 degreesFahrenheit to about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. However, water temperaturesas low as about 60 degrees may be effective in controlling certain typesof pests.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate another embodiment of a pesticide injectionsystem 10 b installed in a structure 72. The pesticide injection system10 includes a plurality of circuits, such as circuits 74 and 76. Alocation of the structure 72 vulnerable to insect damage is at a lowerpart of an exterior wall 78. While a gasket (not shown) is typicallypositioned the bottom of the exterior wall 78 and the top of the stemwall 18, gaps and channels nevertheless often exists between the bottomof the exterior wall 78 the stem wall 18. Consequently, moist air frominside the structure is caused to pass from the structure 72 through thegaps and channels as a result of pressure changes within the structure72, such as when a door is opened or closed. The moist air in turncondenses on the cooler exterior surface of the exterior wall 78,thereby resulting in the growth of mold and mildew and creating anattractant for pests.

As shown in FIG. 10, the structure 72 includes a plurality ofpassageways, such doors 80 and window 82. The circuits 74 and 76 arepositioned in the space 35 between an exterior facing 64 and theexterior wall 78 above the level of the concrete slab 22 and the stemwall 18 but below a bottom 86 of the lowest window of the structure 72.Each circuit 74 and 76 extends between doors 80 along the perimeter ofthe structure 72. Each circuit 74 and 76 terminates at one of the doors80, as opposed to running above the doors 124 so that the tubularconduit 26 is maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation alongis length to allow for uniform distribution of the pesticide. Eachcircuit 74 and 76 has an access port 88 and 90, respectively, forinjecting pesticide. When an exterior facing is utilized that does notresult in the formation of the space 35, the tubular conduit 26 of thecircuits 74 and 76 is preferably positioned near the bottom of theexterior wall 78.

As further shown in FIG. 11, another series of circuits 91 may bepositioned within the exterior wall 78.

Disodium octoborate tetrahydrate (referred to herein as a borate salt)as been found to be a suitable pesticide and fungicide to use with thecircuits 74 and 76. The borate salt forms a hard crust upon drying. Whenthe borate salt is applied through the tubular conduits 26 shown in FIG.11, the borate salts seep from the tubular conduit 26 for several days.The borate salt that seeps from the tubular conduit 26 forms a crust onthe exterior side of the exterior wall 78. This crust forms a barrier toprevent air and pests from passing through the gaps and channels of theexterior wall 78.

By loading the tubular conduit 26 with pesticide prior to pressurizingthe tubular conduit 26, a substantially even flow of pesticide isadmitted over the length of the tubular conduit 26. With respect tocircuits of the present invention positioned within the fill material20, such as the circuit 30 shown in FIG. 1A, it has been found that useof the pesticide injection system 10 a will result in a continuous bandof wet soil of approximately three inches on each side of the tubularconduit 26. As such, by way of example, if it is assumed the circuit 30a is 500 feet in length and the inner diameter of the tubular conduit 26is 0.53 inches, the volume of the circuit 30 a would be approximately5.7 gallons. The area to be treated would be 500 feet times six inches(0.5 feet) or 250 square feet. Assuming the use of a pesticide thatinstructs the application of 1 gallon of solution per 10 square feet, itis determined that approximately 25 gallons of pesticide are required tobe uniformly ejected along the length of circuit 30 a.

In use, 5.7 gallons would be loaded into the tubular conduit 26 at 1gallon per minute. Subsequent injection of pesticide into the tubularconduit 26 causes the tubular conduit 26 to be pressurized. Upon thetubular conduit 26 being pressurized to its threshold pressure, thepores 40 of the tubular conduit 26 are caused to open and beginreleasing pesticide. The pesticide is injected into the pesticideinjection system 10 a until the measured amount of 25 gallons ofpesticide has been injected. Upon the 25 gallons having been injected,the tubular conduit 26 will depressurize below its threshold pressure.As such, the pores 40 of the tubular conduit 26 will close even thoughapproximately 5.7 gallons of pesticide may remain in the tubular conduit26. However, it has been found that fluid in the tubular conduit 26seeps from the pores 40 of the tubular conduit 26 over a period of timethereby resulting in the application of the measured amount of pesticidealong the length of the tubular conduit 26.

With respect to calculating the amount of pesticide required to treatthe circuits 74 and 75 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the wall surface areato be treated is calculated based on the length of the circuits 74 and76 and the height that the tubular conduit 26 is positioned above thetop of the stem wall 18. By way of example, if it is assumed the circuit74 is located 9 inches above the top of the stem wall 18, the circuit 74is 75 feet in length, and the inner diameter of the tubular conduit 26is 0.53 inches, the volume of the circuit 74 would be approximately 0.84gallons. The area to be treated would be 75 feet times 9 inches (0.75feet) or 56.3 square feet. Assuming the use of a pesticide thatinstructs the application of 1 gallon of solution per 10 square feet, itis determined that approximately 5.6 gallons of pesticide are requiredto be uniformly ejected along the length of circuit 76.

In use, 0.84 gallons would be loaded into the tubular conduit 26 at 1gallon per minute. Subsequent injection of pesticide into the tubularconduit 26 causes the tubular conduit 26 to be pressurized. Upon thetubular conduit 26 being pressurized to its threshold pressure, thepores 40 of the tubular conduit 26 are caused to open and beginreleasing pesticide. The pesticide is injected into the circuit 74 untilthe measured amount of 5.6 gallons of pesticide has been injected. Uponthe 5.6 gallons having been injected, the tubular conduit 26 willdepressurize below its threshold pressure. As such, the pores 40 of thetubular conduit 26 will close even though approximately 0.84 gallons ofpesticide may remain in the tubular conduit 26. However, it has beenfound that fluid in the tubular conduit 26 seeps from the pores 40 ofthe tubular conduit 26 over a period of time thereby resulting in theapplication of the measured amount of pesticide along the length of thetubular conduit 26.

From the above description, it is clear that the present invention iswell adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantagesmentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. Whilepresently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described forpurposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changesmay be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the inventiondisclosed and as defined in the appended claims.

1. A method for delivering a pesticide adjacent a foundation of astructure, the method comprising: injecting the pesticide into a tubularconduit positioned proximate to the foundation of the structure, thetubular conduit having a sidewall, a first end, a second end, and aplurality of pores extending through the sidewall of the tubularconduit, the tubular conduit constructed of an elastomeric material suchthat upon applying a positive internal pressure to the tubular conduitabove a threshold pressure the pores of the tubular conduit are causedto open to permit the discharge of pesticide from the tubular conduitand upon removal of the positive internal pressure so that the internalpressure is below the threshold pressure the pores are caused to close,the pesticide being injected into the tubular conduit at a rate suchthat the internal pressure of the tubular conduit remains below thethreshold pressure of the tubular conduit until the tubular conduit issubstantially filled with the pesticide thereby preventing the pesticidefrom being discharged through the pores of the tubular conduit as thetubular conduit is being filled with the pesticide; and continuing toinject the pesticide into the tubular conduit so as to cause the tubularconduit to be uniformly pressurized above the threshold pressure of thetubular conduit along the length of the tubular conduit to cause thepesticide to be discharged from the tubular conduit at a substantiallyuniform rate along the length of the tubular conduit and form a chemicalbarrier against the infestation of pests into the structure throughopenings formed in the foundation of the structure.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the pesticide is injected into the tubular conduit at arate of approximately 1 gal/min.
 3. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising: determining an amount of pesticide needed to treat apredetermined area bordered by the tubular conduit; and injecting thedetermined amount of pesticide into the tubular conduit.
 4. A method fordelivering a pesticide beneath a structure having a footing formed in abase soil, a stem wall formed on the footing and defining a perimeter ofthe structure, a fill material disposed on the base soil within theperimeter of the stem wall, and a concrete slab formed on the fillmaterial and having openings extending therethrough, the methodcomprising: injecting the pesticide into a tubular conduit positionedproximate the openings of the concrete slab, the tubular conduit havinga sidewall, a first end, a second end, and a plurality of poresextending through the sidewall of the tubular conduit, the tubularconduit constructed of an elastomeric material such that upon applying apositive internal pressure to the tubular conduit above a thresholdpressure the pores of the tubular conduit are caused to open to permitthe discharge of pesticide from the tubular conduit and upon removal ofthe positive internal pressure so that the internal pressure is belowthe threshold pressure the pores are caused to close, the pesticidebeing injected into the tubular conduit at a rate such that the internalpressure of the tubular conduit remains below the threshold pressure ofthe tubular conduit until the tubular conduit is substantially filledwith the pesticide thereby preventing the pesticide from beingdischarged through the pores of the tubular conduit as the tubularconduit is being filled with the pesticide; and continuing to inject thepesticide into the tubular conduit so as to cause the tubular conduit tobe uniformly pressurized above the threshold pressure of the tubularconduit along the length of the tubular conduit to cause the pesticideto be discharged from the tubular conduit at a substantially uniformrate along the length of the tubular conduit and form a chemical barrieragainst the infestation of pests into the structure through the openingof the concrete slab.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the pesticide isinjected into the tubular conduit at a rate of approximately 1 gal/min.6. The method of claim 4 further comprising: determining an amount ofpesticide needed to treat a predetermined area bordered by the tubularconduit; and injecting the determined amount of pesticide into thetubular conduit.
 7. A method for delivering a pesticide in a structurehaving an exterior facing, the method comprising: injecting thepesticide into a tubular conduit positioned adjacent an interior side ofthe exterior facing of the structure, the tubular conduit having asidewall, a first end, a second end, and a plurality of pores extendingthrough the sidewall of the tubular conduit, the tubular conduitconstructed of an elastomeric material such that upon applying apositive internal pressure to the tubular conduit above a thresholdpressure the pores of the tubular conduit are caused to open to permitthe discharge of pesticide from the tubular conduit and upon removal ofthe positive internal pressure so that the internal pressure is belowthe threshold pressure the pores are caused to close, the pesticidebeing injected into the tubular conduit at a rate such that the internalpressure of the tubular conduit remains below the threshold pressure ofthe tubular conduit until the tubular conduit is substantially filledwith the pesticide thereby preventing the pesticide from beingdischarged through the pores of the tubular conduit as the tubularconduit is being filled with the pesticide; and continuing to inject thepesticide into the tubular conduit so as to cause the tubular conduit tobe uniformly pressurized above the threshold pressure of the tubularconduit along the length of the tubular conduit to cause the pesticideto be discharged from the tubular conduit at a substantially uniformrate along the length of the tubular conduit and form a chemical barrieragainst the infestation of pests into the structure.
 8. The method ofclaim 7 wherein the pesticide is injected into the tubular conduit at arate of approximately 1 gal/min.
 9. The method of claim 7 furthercomprising: determining an amount of pesticide needed to treat apredetermined area bordered by the tubular conduit; and injecting thedetermined amount of pesticide into the tubular conduit.
 10. The methodof claim 7 wherein the structure is provided with at least one windowand a foundation, and wherein the tubular conduit is positioned betweenthe bottom of the window and the top of the foundation.
 11. The methodof claim 10 wherein the pesticide comprises disodium octoboratetetrahydrate.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the pesticidecrystalizes in the area between the bottom of the window and the top ofthe foundation to form a physical barrier against the infestation ofpests into the structure.